Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel registered another 30-point performance on Friday and joined a notable player in the franchise record books in the process.
Knueppel produced a team-high 33 points, nine assists and five rebounds in a 129-126 loss to the Chicago Bulls at the Spectrum Center. He went 12-of-21 from the field, including 5-of-12 from 3-point range, in 36 minutes as the Hornets dropped to 7-18.
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The fourth pick in the 2025 NBA draft joined teammate LaMelo Ball as the only rookies in franchise history to tally at least 30 points and five assists with five 3-pointers in a game. He is the only first-year player to reach that mark this season.
Knueppel is averaging 18.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 40.4% from 3-point range in 25 appearances with the Hornets. He leads the rookie class in scoring and is the only first-year player with three 30-point games this season.
The 20-year-old is second in the league in total 3s (86), the most by any player through the first 25 games of a career. He is on pace to shatter the rookie record, set by Keegan Murray with the Sacramento Kings during the 2022-23 season (206).
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Knueppel, the reigning Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month, is off to a productive run with the team and has earned the trust of those around him. He has emerged as perhaps the top rookie in the early going, following a tremendous start with the Hornets.
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Hornets news: Kon Knueppel joins LaMelo in team ranks after last game